


Comfort

by blackShadow15



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Diego being an oversized cat, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Sibling Bonding, Soft Diego Hargreeves, figuratively not literally, just that no actual plot involved, mood, slight second season spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26309515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackShadow15/pseuds/blackShadow15
Summary: He was pretty sure he had been alone when he had drifted off. Now though his head was rested higher than couch level on something hard but comfortable that he guessed was someone's thigh. Mostly because, said someone had buried their hand in Diego's hair and was rubbing slow circles into his skull, right next to his ear.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves/Luther Hargreeves
Comments: 2
Kudos: 80





	Comfort

Diego blinked, not really awake yet, hovering in that pleasant space between sleeping and waking, where the mind had not decided which path it wanted to take yet and everything before your eyes was still blurry. He was pretty sure he had been alone when he had drifted off. For once – after a very long time – comfortable enough around his family to just give in to the desperate need for sleep. Even if it just were some minutes on the more or less comfy couch, in a place that was not his, and that he still was not familiar enough with. Now though his head was rested higher than couch level on something hard but comfortable that he guessed was someone's thigh. Mostly because, said someone had buried their hand in Diego's hair and was rubbing slow circles into his skull, right next to his ear. It was calming and Diego could feel his eyes drop again. He felt safe he registered with some bewilderment, the presence behind him reassuringly familiar. 

_ Luther,  _ he thought. 

Whyever Luther had decided to sneak up to Diego's couch was beyond his comprehension but he was too engulfed in the feeling to actually care. Luther's hand dipped a bit lower, moving in steady circles, never breaking the rhythm. It made Diego lose his grip over reality, slowly drifting back to sleep, lured in by gentle strokes.

He always had hated being treated as if he was something fragile, like he could not take care of himself, and had to be handled with caution; Because of his not so bulky build, his inability to communicate without leaching out at people, his stammer. Every time someone had touched him with just a hint of gentleness he had recoiled. Biting comments were easier than actual heartfelt emotions. It had driven almost everyone away and Diego had told himself that he was okay with that. Lone wolf and all. Eudora had been different. Letting Eudora in had not been easy, but after that step it just had felt natural. Letting Luther in was also not easy. But right now, he was strangely okay with it. Especially because he knew that this had to mean something, probably. That Luther cared about him. Enough to be all gentle. It was a nice thought, a warm thought. It made Diego relax enough to submit to sleep again. He had no idea how late it was, but some more minutes surely would not hurt.

When he woke the next time, he was alone again, face smushed into a pillow. He felt rested, but lazy. Like getting up was just too much of a bother. Luther was not around any more, and he wondered if he had dreamed all of that. Until his eyes landed on Five and the weird look he was giving him. Yeah okay. No dream. And it had probably looked as alien as it had felt. Strange thing was Diego was actually missing it. The sense of proximity that the whole act had given him. The realisation of that feeling made him want to put his hands over his face and groan. He had to be really touch starved ever since Lila- well whatever Lila was doing right now. Playing for the other team probably. Whatever team that was. Five still watched him like he was figuring out a pretty annoying puzzle, though, so Diego resisted his urges and just sat up.

'What?' He snarled at Five while grabbing the mug that was still on the table. The coffee was cold, stale and way too bitter. God! How long had he been asleep? He drank it anyway. Just because putting the cup down again right after picking it up would look stupid.

'I'm trying to figure out when you became so domesticated,' Five said, looking way too serious for a comment like that. As if it really bugged him. Diego decided to ignore him. He was too at ease right now to actually bother with his brother's antics. He yawned and stretched his limbs until his joints popped. Five's face turned all sniffy for a moment.

'Such grace,' he commented.

'Shut up,' Diego gave back but it did not hold any bite. 'How's the end of the world looking?'

Five huffed and grumbled something to himself. Diego smirked. Riling up his siblings was still as fun as always.

They stayed like this for a while. Diego drinking the horrible remains of what once might have been coffee, and Five doing... whatever Five did. It slowly was getting dark and the silence stretched long like the shadows. Luther apparently had decided to vanish for the rest of the day, to wherever he had gone to. Vanya was probably at that farm of hers. It was still weird to be around her, especially since she had lost her memories. To be angry at her for something she did not even remember felt wrong. And Eliot was strangely absent considering this was his apartment. Diego did not even know why that guy had decided to actually be so friendly with them. Not that it would have helped him to kick and shout. Not when Five had set his mind on something. But still... this level of acceptance over four strangers occupying your home? Not something Diego would ever understand. Maybe the guy was just that lonely. Which in itself was pathetic.

'I'm pretty sure that's cold,' Five said after what felt like hours. Diego had actually half gone back to snoozing, slouching into the cushions of the couch, just holding onto the mug because he was too lazy to put it back down. He was not really tired, just way too cosy right now to be bothered getting up. There was also not much to do. Actually there was nothing to do right now. It used to drive him up the walls. Not to be able to act, to busy himself with something, anything. Just to shut down his mind. But seventy-five days locked up in a nuthouse did change some perspectives. So maybe he should be thankful for that. He was not. But maybe he should.

He drank the rest of the liquid in the cup, just because, before he put it away. Five just rolled his eyes. 'Have it your way then,' he muttered, turning around and just puffing out of existence. Diego did not know why, but he was weirdly satisfied with the reaction. It also left him alone, in peace... and quiet. Diego took out his knives, checking them over. There was no real need for that, he knew they were in top condition, but it gave his hands something to do, now that they were no longer holding the mug.

_ I'm bored,  _ he realised.

His life had been all action ever since he had been young. Being a hero did that. But he had been fine with it. He chose to live like that. His life, his decisions. Then Five had reappeared, and so much shit had happened that he had lost sight of where his way was supposed to take him. The abrupt stop that had been his arrest - those seventy-five days of just nothing; just white, and walls, crazy people and doctors who thought they knew best, who forced him to talk, forced their will on him or else... – had felt like a slap in his face. He was not crazy. He was right! And everyone else was just to blind to see it. See the connections that were right in front of them. There was a conspiracy going on here, and their father was right in the middle of it. Why could his family not just believe him? Believe in him? Just once. He knew he could do this. He had to do this. Just to prove he-

The cushions dipped next to him, ripping him out of his thought process. He could actually feel the way the couch sank in under the weight of the other person with his whole body and looked up at Luther questioningly. There were like a dozen other places his brother could have sat down instead of right next to Diego. But that was where he sat. Luther was not looking back at him, just sinking into the couch, eyes straight ahead.  _ Well. Okay then,  _ Diego thought and went back to his knives.

He was about to put the last of them away, securing them tightly in their holster, when Luther's hand found its way back into Diego's hair. Diego stiffened at touch, sending Luther an irritated, slightly panicked look out of the corner of his eye. But Luther was still staring ahead, seemingly lost in thought, not paying Diego any attention at all. As if his hand just developed a will of its own, like a reflex. Diego did not really know what to do here, especially when Luther started to rub that spot behind his ear again. And, yeah, that felt really good, actually. A little, embarrassingly soft sigh escaped his lips. For one moment all he wanted to do was to sink against Luther's border form and chase that feeling. He blinked irritated and stood up, ripping himself from Luther's grip. Some strands of hair caught between the other one's fingers, sending little sharp twinges through his scalp. Stupid long hair. He did not even know why he put up with it.

'What the hell man!' He shouted. Because. What the hell! Luther just looked at him. Eyes big and slightly confused. That stupid puppy look made it difficult to stay angry at him. Why could Luther not be a bit more like when they were kids, all stoic and so irritatingly self-confident? Being mad at Luther had been easy back then. A lot of things had been easy back then.

'I thought you like it,' Luther said, not putting any emotion in that statement, like it was a given fact. Out there for everyone to see.

'I... Ehm,' Diego found himself at a loss of words here. It was not even his stammer acting up. He just honestly did not know what to say to that. Because, yeah he liked it. Not that he would say so. That did not explain why Luther did it.

Luther was still looking at him, expectant. 'You're just standing there?' He asked. 'Or are you gonna sit down again?'

And suddenly Diego felt pretty dumb just starring at Luther, the holster still in his hand, like he was ready for a fight. He lay down his knives on the table and let himself drop down next to Luther again. Luther, who seemed pretty pleased with himself, nudged Diego until he actually was leaning against his side. Then he stuck his hand back in Diego's hair again, searching for that spot that made Diego's resolve crumble, even before Diego had time to object to any of this. Diego could feel his breathing slow down and his whole body relax, going slack against Luther.

'You're pretty tense,' Luther said, his voice vibrating through his ridiculously broad chest.

'Well the world is ending,' Diego said. His voice was way too low for his own liking. 'Again. We made the world end, again.'

Luther hummed. He spread his fingers a bit, reaching down Diego's neck, without abandoning the spot they had been occupied with. Luther's hands were just so damn big.

'Why are you so chill?' Diego asked, looking up at Luther's face. It was a bit difficult to make out his facial expressions from this angle.

Luther shrugged and it made Diego move with the motion. 'Don't know. I got stuck in the sixties without knowing if any of you were alive. Dad rejected me, without even knowing who I am. I got fired, lost my home. Oh and yeah. Allison's married. The end of the world just feels not that special any more.'

Diego snorted. 'Our lives are shit, bro. No doubts with that.'

Luther hummed again while his fingers explored the back of Diego's head. Putting just the right kind of pressure to the right kind of place. Where had Luther learned to do that? Diego let his eyelids drop, suddenly feeling sluggish and way too comfortable. Luther went over to circles again kneading a certain rhythm into Diego's skin. Diego purred. He did not mean to. It just escaped him. A long, low sound, coming right from the bottom of his throat. Luther chuckled. Diego hit his chest mostly out of embarrassment. He could feel the colour rising to his face. Especially because Luther was still tending to that exact same spot in exact the same way, and Diego could feel an other one of those stupid sounds making its way up his throat and out of his mouth. Not that he would be able to stop it.

''m not cute,' he pressed out between clenched teeth.

Luther just chuckled again. 'I haven't said anything,' he said, in a voice that told Diego that he may not have said it out loud but he surely had thought it.

‘If I would have known, that this is what it takes to shut you down. I would have done this ages ago,’ Luther said still in this light and carefree voice. 

Diego wondered if teenage-him would have let teenage-Luther even do that to him, without throwing a tantrum. It was difficult to imagine Number One ever getting this physically close with any of his siblings. Beside Allison... Especially not him. Diego was not sure this stupid admiration he had held for his brother - still held for his brother, in some ways - would have survived something like this. But teenage-him also never expected to end up in an apocalypse, twice. So maybe this was okay, under these circumstances. 

‘Shutup Luther,’ he mumbled. The words slurred into each other. He could feel sleep drawing at him again, tugging him under, making the world around him seem softer, less harsh.

Maybe this was really okay. Just this once. To be all cosy with his brother, like normal siblings would be. To let his guard down. To feel safe, protected by someone else than himself. Someone that would still put up with him tomorrow, when Diego was all fight and bite again. Someone that would stick around, even through all this mess.

Yeah, maybe this was all right. It sure felt like it right now.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Fionir again for beta reading. : )
> 
> This also might be my life now, sitting around late night, writing out Umbrella ideas my head makes up. But that's fine : ) I can live with that.  
> I hope my late night creativity entertained you as much as it is fun to write out.


End file.
